Bolted frog tie



G. P. MAHOOD BOLTED FROG TIE Sept. 28, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 29, 1949 N ANN \M Q N. NN U \N.. \m u I N E N .GN

Sept, 28, 1954 G. P. MAHOOD 2, 90,31

BOLTED FROG TIE Filed July 29, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 1 a m l Q20 1 39 Aliza/21w Patented Sept. 28, 1954 BOLTED FROG TIE George P. Mahood, Coopersburg, Pa., assignor to Bethlehem Steel Company, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 29, 1949, Serial No. 107,540

2 Claims.

My invention relates in general to turnouts for light railways, and particularly to steel ties and fastening means for maintaining turnout frogs in rigid and properly spaced relation to adjoining track structure.

A rail turnout, for diverting rolling stock from one track to another, consists essentially of a switch, switch stand, frog, and curved and straight rails resting on cross ties which provide proper gaging and support. The frog is located at the intersection of the straight closure rail and the inner curved turnout rail, and permits the wheels and wheel flanges running on either rail to cross the other.

Narrow gage light rail tracks, such as are used in mines, quarries, and industrial plants, gen-- erally employ cast manganese steel frogs, without movable parts, bolted to the rails and kept in place on metal ties by means of bolted or riveted clips which occasionally become loose and slide out of place. Moreover, both right and left hand turnouts occur in track practice, and a reversible tie thus becomes desirable. Mine tracks turnouts are also often moved and relaid, so ease of installation and removal is a considerahle advantage.

Que object of my invention, therefore, is to do a metal tie which is particularly adapted or under a turnout frog.

Another object is a frog tie which-is fastened directly to the frog and consequently remains fixed in position with tremendous holding power.

A further object is a Ebolted frog tie which is reversible to fit either a right or left hand turnout.

Additional objects, purposes and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter in the specification and in the appended claims.

In order that my invention shall be more readily understood, I shall now refer to the three sheets or drawings hereto annexed and in which like characters of reference designate like parts:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of a right hand turnout employing the bolted frog ties;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan View showin the frog in more detail;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on the line 6-6 of Fig. showing the bolt head locking bridge plate;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view without the frog of an end portion of a modification of the frog tie eliminating the bridge plate;

Fig. 8 is a vertical section on the line 88 of i Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is a horizontal section similar to Fig. 6 but showing the oval hole in the bridge plate punched with the long diameter of the oval parallel to the long dimension of the frog tie.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the turnout shown in Fig. l rests upon conventional ties I, which may be wood and/or metal as preferred, and upon metal turnout ties which may be used either alone or secured to treated wooden bases and which may conveniently be designated by their locations as switch stand ties 2, switch point ties 3, and frog ties i and 5. The switch stand ties 2 are lengthened to support on their extremities a switch stand (not shown), by means of which the switch points 5 may be thrown to divert travel from the straight rails l, 8, 9 and H) to the curved rails ll, l2 and it. At the intersection of the straight closure and main rails 53 and [0 with the curved closure and turnout rails H and it, there is located a standard cast steel frog l4 having integral horizontally extending toe and heel weblikc aprons l5 and [6 which join together the longitudinally diverging upright rail-engaging arms E1 on each side. Said arms are provided with holes l8 for track :bolts It having lock washers 2d and nuts 2|, and are shaped similar to angle-bars to engage the adjoining rail fishings 22. Each of said aprons I5 and i8 is provided with a bottom bolt hole 23, which is preferably located on the center line of the apron and between the track bolt holes it to allow easy accessibility.

The frog ties 4 and 5 are rolled or pressed steel sections having a central depressed trough or channel portion 24, elevated fiat-topped side ridges 25 and turned down longitudinal side edges 26 to impart the required rigidity. The frog tie 4 extends from beneath the toe end of the frog It to beneath the opposite curved turnout rail 13. The frog tie 5 similarly extends from beneath the heel end of the frog It to underneath the opposite straight main rail l.

Each of said ties i and 5 is provided near the inner end with two bolt holes 21, so that the ties may be used interchangeably at either the toe or the heel end of the frog, and a small bridge plate '28 having an oval hole 29 is welded as at 30 beneath each hole 27 in one side ridge 25 to provide a headlock and spacer for a standard oval neck track bolt 3| extending upwardly therein through said holes 29, 27 and. 23 and having a lock washer 32 and nut 33 to secure the toe or heel apron of the frog directly thereto.

Referring to Figs. 6 and 9, the oval holes 29 in the bridge plates 28 may be punched with the long diameters of the ovals either at right angles to or parallel to the long dimension of the frog tie, Whichever may be deemed stronger or more convenient in the particular circumstances. Likewise a single bridge plate 28 may be punched with a pair of properly spaced oval holes 29 and welded in lieu of individual plates beneath the holes 21.

Referring to Figs. 7 and 8, it is also possible to eliminate said bridge plates 28 entirely, by punching an oval bolt hole 29 through the central trough portion '24 of the frog tie and then bolting the frog aprons thereto.

Rail-abutting outer stationary clips 34 and inner movable clips 35 secure the outer ends of the frog ties 4 and 5 to the curved turnout rail l3 and straight main rail 7.

Although I have thus described my invention hereinabove in considerable detail, I do not wish to be limited to the exact and specific details thereof as shown and described, but I may use such modifications, substitutions, or equivalents thereof as are embraced within the scope of the invention or pointed out in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination, in a turnout having inner and outer main and turnout rails, of a frog having extended toe and heel aprons, an opening in each of said aprons located on the longitudinal center line of the frog, metal ties each underying a separate apron and outer rail, each of said ties having clips near one end for engaging the base of its outer rail and also having an opening near the opposite end registering with the opening in its respective apron, and means extending through said tie and apron openings and pivotally securing the ties to the frog.

2. The combination, in a turnout having closure rails and inner and outer main rails and inner and outer turnout rails, of a frog having extended toe and heel aprons and integral up-- right portions at each side thereof, each of said aprons having an opening therein located on the longitudinal center line of the frog, the upright portions adjacent the toe apron "being directly secured to the closure rails and the upright portions adjacent the heel apron also being directly secured to the inner main and turnout rails, ties each underlying a different apron and one of the outer rails, headed means extending through the apron openings and securing the ties to the frog, and means securing each tie to its outer rail.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 22,630 Breed et a1. 1 Apr. 17, 1945 171,073 Weir Dec. 14, 1875 356,609 Wharton Jan. 25, 1887 555,984 Daniels Mar. 10, 1896 739,607 Klinkner Sept. 22, 1903 988,752 Axrnan Apr. 4, 1911 1,044,508 Elfborg Nov. 19, 1912 1,048,690 Hardin Dec. 31, 1912 1,125,888 Slick Jan. 19, 1915 1,419,643 Plost June 13, 1922 1,876,253 Mariani Sept. 6, 1932 2,024,306 ROll'er Dec. 17, 1935 2,044,283 Conley June 16, 1936 2,550,654 Haskell Apr. 24, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 767,985 France July 27, 1934 1,842 Great Britain July 12, 1865 

